Get some goulash

Eastern European eats are still sorrowfully sparse in our region. If you're able to hunt them down, you're probably reading a specials board or a tucked away corner of a menu.

But for one night, Hendersonville Sister Cities invites the public to gather around goulash (a rustic, paprika-spiced stew) and piroshki dumplings. “We just thought it would be perfect for winter,” says Allen Mitchem, the vice president of the board of directors and, by trade, a travel agent. “The foods will be explained — where they come from and why they were chosen — and the wine also will be explained.”

The nonprofit organization throws regular educational events, such as dinners, wine tastings and lectures. “We try to expose the cultures and lands and nations from around the world to the people who live here,” Mitchem says.

Hendersonville's actual sister city is Almuñecar, Spain, but that doesn't stop the group from exploring foods from all over the globe.“Several months ago, we did do the Spanish tapas dinner,” Mitchem says. “Who knows what's after this?”

The four-course dinner, with wine pairings, costs $40, including gratuity and tax. The meal takes place at Mrs. G and Me restaurant, 502 N. Main St., Hendersonville, at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 26, but the deadline for registration is Monday, Feb. 18. For more information, see hendersonvillesistercities.org or call 693-9072.